What can I expect during my nuclear scan?

Oftentimes, a clinical care team will help facilitate the scheduling of your first nuclear imaging appointment. All nuclear imaging studies require a script from a physician or healthcare provider. Due to the complexity of these scans, there will be specific questions based on what your physician is looking for and the type of radioactive tracer needed.

Your scheduler will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for your exam. You will also receive a call 1-2 days prior to confirm the preparation details with you. You may be told not to eat, drink, or take certain medications before your scan.

After you arrive and check in at the designated office, our licensed nuclear medicine technologist will escort you into the nuclear imaging area. You will be given a small amount of radioactive tracer – it is most often injected, but it may be swallowed or inhaled. This substance is safe and specially prepared to collect temporarily in the specific part of the body to be studied.

You will then be taken to the scan room, where the technologist will place a special camera close to your body. You will be asked to lie still during imaging. The camera or table may then be adjusted for additional images and there may be a short wait while images are reviewed.

Once in the selected organ, the chemicals emit gamma rays that are detected by a gamma camera and assembled as a scan. After the exam is over, the body will naturally dispose of these chemicals in a few days.

Typical exam time, including preparation, imaging and follow-up, is approximately 90 minutes.